Snowy Owls Hunt During The Day, Night

Ranger Charles Keyes saw a snowy owl at the entry station at Aurora Reservoir Sunday afternoon.

"Snowy owls are considered rare in Colorado, there are one to 10 sights per year," said Mary Ann Bonnell, city naturalist in Aurora.

Bonnell, the daughter of a birder and a birder herself, said she's only seen one snowy owl in her life and it was at Barr Lake as a child.

"A snowy owl sighting gets birders very excited," said Bonnell.

Keyes said it was the first time he had seen "this magnificent creature."

Snowy owls live in Canada, the northern United States, Europe, and Asia, according to National Geographic. Unlike most owls, which are nocturnal, snowy owls are diurnal -- they hunt and are active both day and night.

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